The United States government announced on Thursday its intention to allocate over $1 billion in the next ten years towards the restoration of salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. The government also stated that it will assist in finding solutions to mitigate the impact of four contentious dams on the Snake River, should there be a decision to remove them by Congress.

The government under President Joe Biden did not explicitly ask for the dams to be taken down to protect the fish, but Native American tribes and environmentalists who have been pushing for this have praised the agreement as a plan for dismantling the dams. The agreement was filed in Oregon’s U.S. District Court and puts a pause on ongoing legal battles regarding the management of the dams, marking a major move towards their eventual removal.

John Podesta, senior adviser at the White House, stated that the agreement made today is a significant turning point for the Pacific Northwest. This collaboration between the Biden-Harris Administration and state and Tribal governments aims to safeguard salmon and other indigenous fish, fulfill our commitments to Tribal nations, and acknowledge the vital role of the Columbia River System in the economy of the region.

The Columbia River Basin, a region approximately the same size as Texas, was formerly known as the most abundant source of salmon in the world, with a minimum of 16 varieties of salmon and steelhead. However, four of these species are now extinct and seven are classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, a well-known yet at-risk species in the Pacific Northwest, a group of killer whales, rely on the salmon as a food source.

Dams are a main culprit behind the salmon’s decline, and federal fisheries scientists have concluded that breaching the dams in eastern Washington on the Snake River, the largest tributary of the Columbia, would be the best hope for recovering them, providing the fish with access to hundreds of miles of pristine habitat and spawning grounds in Idaho.

More than 20 years ago, conservation organizations filed a lawsuit against the national government in an attempt to protect the fish. They have claimed that the ongoing functioning of the dams goes against the Endangered Species Act and agreements made in the 1800s guaranteeing Native American tribes the right to catch fish.

Last month, members of the Republican party in Congress, who are against the breach of dams, made public a leaked version of the draft agreement.

“I am deeply troubled by the implications of this agreement for the future of our region,” stated Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington, in an email on Thursday. “It puts at risk the vital resources of energy, irrigation, and navigation that sustain our way of life, and makes commitments on behalf of Congress without consulting us.”

According to the terms of the agreement, the United States government will construct sufficient new renewable energy facilities in the Pacific Northwest to replace the hydroelectricity produced by the Ice Harbor, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, and Lower Granite dams.

The arrangement involves a resolution concerning the management of dams. This involves releasing more water during the spring, fall, and winter seasons to assist certain salmon populations like spring and summer Chinook. However, this also means reducing the amount of water released in late summer, which could negatively impact fall Chinook. According to environmental law firm Earthjustice, who is representing various environmental, fishing, and renewable energy organizations in the legal proceedings, this could be detrimental to fall Chinook.

The Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency responsible for managing dams, will allocate $300 million over a span of 10 years to rehabilitate native fish populations and their environments in the Columbia River Basin. This agreement will result in a minimal rate increase of 0.7%. The majority of the funds will be allocated towards enhancing and operating hatcheries, while the remaining will be distributed among the “six sovereigns” – Oregon, Washington, and four tribes: Yakama Nation, Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.

According to the White House, in addition to other funds for restoring fish populations, the federal government plans to allocate over $1 billion in the next ten years.

The United States will also fund research on alternative options for transportation, irrigation, and recreation in the event that the dams are removed. The dams have made Lewiston, Idaho the furthest inland seaport on the West Coast and many local farmers depend on barges to transport their crops, although rail is also an option.

The chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe, Shannon Wheeler, stated that the agreement provides a plan for breaking through barriers. He also emphasized the need for these promises to be fulfilled in order for the Pacific Northwest to become a more robust and resilient region. As such, it is essential to make the necessary decisions to ensure that these treaty commitments are honored.

The agreement has been opposed by Northwest RiverPartners, the Public Power Council and the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, who represent utility and business groups.

Northwest RiverPartners stated in a press release on Thursday that this agreement jeopardizes the potential for reaching clean energy targets. Additionally, it will result in higher electricity costs for customers in the area and worsen the main danger to salmon, as identified by NOAA scientists: the warming and acidification of the ocean.

There is increasing acknowledgement that the negative impact of dams on fish outweighs their benefits, yet only a small number of legislators in the area have embraced this notion. The Elwha River dams in Washington state and the Klamath River dams along the Oregon-California border have either been removed or are currently in the process of being removed.

In 2021, Idaho’s Republican Representative Mike Simpson suggested removing the earthen berms that flank the four Lower Snake River dams in order to allow the river to flow without obstruction. He also proposed allocating $33 billion to compensate for the benefits lost from the removal of the dams.

In a report released last year, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (both Democrats) stated that the carbon-free electricity generated by the dams must be replaced prior to their potential breach. Inslee did not endorse the breaching of the dams during a conference call with journalists on Thursday, but he did suggest that finding a replacement for their benefits would allow Congress to make a more informed decision.

He stated that this agreement does not guarantee anything, but it significantly increases the chances of obtaining the necessary information to make a decision.

In October, Biden instructed federal agencies to utilize all accessible resources in order to revive plentiful salmon migrations in the Columbia River Basin. However, the memo did not go as far as to suggest the removal of the dams.

Donella Miller, the fisheries science manager for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, stated that the energy demands of the Pacific Northwest should not be reliant on salmon. She believes that what benefits the salmon also benefits the environment, and ultimately benefits the people.

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Contributions were made by Matthew Daly, a writer for the Associated Press, in Washington, D.C.

Source: wral.com